Faith and Politics: How the "Moral Values" Debate Divides America and How to Move Forward Together [Hardcover]

Senator John Danforth (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 19, 2006

A former U.S. senator and ordained Episcopal priest examines the controversial intersection of faith and politics in America

As a former three-term Republican U.S. senator from Missouri and an ordained Episcopal priest, John C. Danforth has watched the changes in his party and the church with growing alarm. After penning two op-eds for The New York Times criticizing the right for its focus on wedge issues—abortion, stem-cell research, gay marriage, the Schiavo case, the public display of religion—that drive people apart, he speaks out again to call for a change.

"The Republican Party has been taken over by something that it’s not," Danforth says. "People do not want a sectarian political party, including a lot of people who are traditional Republicans." In Faith and Politics, Danforth provides suggestions for moving toward a more secular Republican party that inspires trust in the people of the United States. Based on years of hard- won political experience and a life of religious service, he calls for Christians to look to the Bible and Christian teachings for ways in which they can practice their faith day to day and turn the country’s focus to a common ground once more.

As a respected former senator, special envoy for peace in Sudan, priest, as an author, Senator Danforth is uniquely qualified to call for the change we so desperately need. He writes openly about his political life and ambition, humbly about his achievements, and above all with clarity and reason that both Republicans and Democrats hear all too little of.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Danforth, a Missouri Republican as well as a lawyer and Episcopal minister, tended to avoid nasty partisan politics during his three terms in the U.S. Senate (with the notable exception of his defense of his protégé Clarence Thomas during U.S. Supreme Court confirmation hearings). After voluntarily retiring from the Senate in 1995, Danforth accepted appointments by White House Republicans, including ambassador to the United Nations and envoy for peace in Sudan. But the partisanship of President George W. Bush, a variety of other Republicans and quite a few Democrats has now led Danforth to urge political rivals to pull together to strengthen the United States, so the nation can in turn promote world peace. Danforth oozes sincerity and good sense as he excoriates "Christian conservatives" (naming James Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Ralph Reed and Pat Robertson, among others) for corrupting religious doctrine on reproduction and marriage and inappropriately inserting it in government. Conceding that he's an imperfect human being who sometimes failed as a student, husband, father, lawyer, minister and senator, Danforth comes across as a welcome paragon of virtue. (Sept.)
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From Booklist

*Starred Review* A former three-term Republican U.S. senator from Missouri and an ordained Episcopal priest, Danforth brings exceptional insight to the debate about the political use of religion and the separation of church and state. He worries that Republican courting of the Christian Right is distorting all notions of public and private morality. He laments that when Republicans voted to have federal courts overrule the state court in the Terri Schiavo case, violating long-held principles, it allowed the Christian Right to take over the party. Danforth urges more liberal and moderate Christians to challenge the presumptiveness of the Christian Right to speak for all Christians. Rather than construct a political agenda based on narrow interpretations of religious orthodoxy, Christians should focus an expansive faith in God that embraces conflicting opinions on a range of controversial issues, including stem-cell research and gay marriage. Danforth is honest in revealing his own struggles to maintain humility in seeking political consensus, and offers a primer for politicians to conduct themselves by Christian principles without dogmatic orthodoxy that ultimately divides the nation. This incredibly thoughtful book will give pause to readers of all political and religious beliefs. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Viking Adult; First Edition edition (September 19, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670037877
• ISBN-13: 978-0670037872
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #461,340 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 49 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Title To Consider This Election Season September 27, 2006

By Alfred C. Martino

Format:Hardcover

Danforth, who has led a very interesting and impressive life, delivers a very frank criticism of how religion--and Christianity, in particular--has imposed itself on today's most pressing public issues. While I don't necessarily agree with Danforth's assessment on how much blame Republican politicians and religious conservatives deserve, "Faith and Politics" did make me pause and reconsider the direction in which the Republican party is going.

49 of 60 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars too little, too late September 28, 2006

By J. Johnson VINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

John Danforth has been a participant in Republican politics throughout the rise of the religious right. When the right could help him he gladly took their votes. As he watched the Republican party drift further to the right, driven by its increasingly conservative, religious base he largely sat silent. After his useful political life ended, he wrote this book, questioning the rise of the right and its effect on the Republican party and American politics. While much of what he says is true and much of his analysis is correct, to decry it now that it can no longer do him any good seems intellectually dishonest. Many will latch on to this book because it is written from the Republican, Christian side of the political aisle. In my opinion it is too little, too late.

Danforth begins by asking the question "Is faith a reconciler or divider? (My personal aswer is both). He posits 3 guidelines for the role of religion in politics.

1. We serve a large God, a transcendent God who cannot be shrunken by poliical activists and stuffed into their own agenda.

2. No one should presume to embody God's truth, including ourselves... our political programs however prayerfully inspired are no more than our best efforts to be faithful to God and we should pursue them with humility.

3. We believe God's truth is expansive enough to embrace conflicting opinions, even on hot button issues.

While I agree with the broad approach Danforth presents, the byproduct of his approach is the danger of living a passionless gospel. Eliminate the conservatives on the right and Jim Wallis on the left, much of the passion to create change disappears. Regardless of how we approach the Gospel, ultimately it demands passion and change. He talks about faith in relation to several hot political issues, sharing from his journey. He discusses the seach for certainty, the role of public religion, the Terri Schiavo case (which seems to be the straw that broke the camel's back for Danforth), abortion, stem cell research, gay marraige, peacemaking and the American role in the world with varying degrees of persuasiveness.

I recommend the book with reservations

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting February 6, 2007

By Music Connoisseur

Format:Hardcover

As a 19 year old college student who is a currently a philosophy major and agnostic, I found this book extremely interesting. I grew up with a family of christianity and a sibling who and will pursue it for the rest of life itself, so needless to say it takes alot to get my attention on the subject.

After reading the first chapter alone I was absolutely blown away at what I was reading. Danforth may be too little too late but at least he made an effort period. His concepts, to me, display the truth about politicians using christianity for profitable gain in any form possible (in a nutshell). He spends much time clarifying his points with text from the bible and making an attempt to interprete their purpose in politics today. The fact that he's a republican is even more impressive that he had the guts to write such a novel.

Please understand...

This book was not written to give answers to all the problems. It figures that people would despise this book because it doesn't give an answer, and typical at that. As a famous artist once said, "Computers are useless because they only give you answers". This book is the inbetween. We as people have become computers only interested in finding the answer ALONE not concerned with the thought process that it takes to GET to the answer. With that mindset, we will never find the answer. It is the INBETWEEN that is the most vital.

To myself, this novel provides yet another vital step to understanding faith and politics in attempt to reach that answer that we seem to try to find. Bravo to Danforth.